In the blink of an eye, the white-robed figure was before him. Who could it be but Yun Lie?
His aura was as cold as ever, his bearing as stern, and his presence just as powerful and impossible to ignore.
Xu Ziqing had not seen his senior brother in many years. During their separation, he had managed to suppress his longing, but now that Yun Lie stood before him, he felt almost dazed.
In another instant, Yun Lie was directly in front of Xu Ziqing.
Their gazes met, lingering upon one another. Xu Ziqing smiled and called softly, “Senior Brother.”
Yun Lie nodded slightly. “You’ve formed your Nascent Soul. Very good.”
Xu Ziqing’s expression softened. “It has been many years. Have you been well, Senior Brother?”
Yun Lie extended a hand and lightly touched his junior brother’s cheek. “I’ve also advanced.”
Xu Ziqing’s heart stirred. He placed his own hand over his senior brother’s.
Neither moved, yet the air between them suddenly became intimate and tender.
After a while, Yun Lie’s hand shifted. Smiling, Xu Ziqing slid his fingers between his senior brother’s until their hands were interlaced.
Then the two walked away together, hand in hand, with graceful, unhurried steps.
Naturally, they spoke as they went.
Warm affection filled Xu Ziqing’s heart, making his voice especially gentle. “Where have you come from just now, Senior Brother?”
Yun Lie replied, “I was discussing swords with others at a hall.”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “As fellow practitioners of the sword, there must be people there who share your ideals.”
Yun Lie considered briefly. “Their temperaments are all straightforward. Only Jiwen Jing is more calculating, but his sword heart is extremely firm. He, too, is worth befriending.”
Xu Ziqing thought about what he had heard.
His senior brother’s sword heart was clear, and he ordinarily acted with complete openness and integrity. Yet when befriending others, he was broad-minded and remarkably tolerant. The fact that he singled out Jiwen Jing suggested that this man’s thoughts were deeper and more complicated than those of most people Yun Lie had met. But since Yun Lie also said he was worth befriending, he must possess considerable insight into the sword Dao and could not be a truly despicable person.
With this in mind, Xu Ziqing asked, “Senior Brother, what are Fellow Daoist Jiwen’s attainments in the sword Dao?”
Yun Lie replied, “He has also achieved the first refinement of his sword soul.”
Xu Ziqing understood at once. With such attainments, the man was indeed qualified to become his senior brother’s close friend.
But since his surname was Jiwen, he was probably closely connected to the Jiwen family that had organized the Sword Discussion Assembly. Xu Ziqing could only hope he would be sincere in his friendship with Yun Lie.
The martial brothers continued chatting briefly, and before long the Sword-Seeking Hall appeared ahead.
They entered together and made their way straight to the arena behind it.
·
Meanwhile, Jiwen Jing and the others had been discussing swords when Fellow Daoist Yun, ordinarily aloof and rarely talkative except on matters of swordsmanship, received a message in a jade slip and hurried away to meet someone. The others were surprised and could not help speculating.
One cultivator laughed. “I never imagined Fellow Daoist Yun would behave like that.”
With anyone else, it would have been unremarkable. But Yun Lie was so distant from other people. Did he have a close friend whom he valued so much?
Another teased, “Perhaps it’s the person he loves.”
Someone else replied, “Given Fellow Daoist Yun’s temperament… I really can’t imagine him having a sweetheart.”
The others laughed. “When Fellow Daoist Yun brings the person here, we’ll find out for ourselves.”
These sword cultivators usually devoted nearly all their attention to training, but now their curiosity had been thoroughly piqued.
It was hardly surprising. Yun Lie had acted so differently from his usual self today that they could not help taking an interest.
Of course, they were only making such jokes because Yun Lie was absent. If he had been present, they would probably have fallen silent, feeling that such teasing was somehow inappropriate around him.
Only Jiwen Jing frowned slightly.
He valued Yun Lie highly and regarded him as a rare friend who truly understood the sword Dao. He hoped to deepen their friendship. With the thinking of a scion of a great clan, he had therefore considered arranging a marriage for him. Jiwen Jing had a younger sister of the same parents who possessed exceptional talent for swordsmanship. At only a hundred years of age, she had already reached Golden Core and was close to comprehending sword intent. Would she not be a perfect match for Yun Lie?
If the two became dual-cultivation Dao companions, Jiwen Jing would naturally become Yun Lie’s elder brother-in-law, and their friendship would grow closer. They could even exchange sword insights regularly. What could be better? Moreover, once Yun Lie achieved greater things, he would become a powerful ally of the Jiwen family, making the arrangement more valuable still.
It would accomplish several goals at once.
Jiwen Jing reasoned that Yun Lie, being only a little over two hundred years old and possessed of such a forbidding nature, probably had no Dao companion. He had already sent people to fetch his younger sister from the main family, so that she could attend the assembly and meet Yun Lie in person.
Someone of Yun Lie’s caliber was an excellent prospective husband, and Jiwen Jing was sure his sister would be delighted.
But now his sister was only a day or two from arriving. Why did it suddenly seem that someone important to Yun Lie had appeared?
The other sword cultivators in the hall respected Yun Lie and sought guidance from him, but unlike Jiwen Jing, they had not observed him so carefully or entertained such plans. They made a few jokes and thought no more of the matter. Jiwen Jing, however, had noticed that anyone capable of inspiring such a reaction from Yun Lie must hold an extraordinary place in his heart.
Having considered the matter, Jiwen Jing held back his thoughts and waited for Yun Lie to return.
Meeting someone would not take long. Sure enough, before much time had passed, two people approached from outside the arena.
Jiwen Jing spotted Yun Lie immediately. Then, glancing to his left, he saw a young cultivator in green walking shoulder to shoulder with him.
Instinctively, he examined the newcomer more closely.
The young man had refined, handsome features and had attained Nascent Soul, revealing excellent talent. That alone would not have been particularly unusual. What was truly startling was the terrifying vitality contained within him. Only because Jiwen Jing had refined his sword soul and was far more perceptive than ordinary cultivators could he detect even a trace of it, yet that tiny trace was already overwhelming.
Clearly, this stranger practiced an exceptionally powerful cultivation art.
But most striking of all was the young cultivator’s aura.
It was gentle and calm, refreshing as a spring breeze. Unlike many powerful cultivators, he did not stand there radiating oppressive force and making himself impossible to look at. Yet he was by no means easily overlooked.
Instead, people who saw him naturally felt goodwill toward him.
They might even find themselves wanting to approach him.
For a Nascent Soul cultivator to possess such an influence was truly frightening.
And beyond that…
Jiwen Jing’s thoughts grew complicated.
The young man and Yun Lie walked together, their auras mingling in perfect harmony.
By all logic, the Daos they had comprehended ought to be diametrically opposed, making even close friendship difficult. Yet here they were, with no sign of incompatibility whatsoever.
For some inexplicable reason, it seemed that neither rejected the other in the slightest.
Before long, the pair reached them.
Jiwen Jing gathered his thoughts, stood up, and smiled. “Brother Yun, might I ask who this is…”
Yun Lie said, “My Dao companion.”
Jiwen Jing’s heart tightened.
He actually had a Dao companion!
The Dao was divided into yin and yang, just as heaven and earth were divided into yin and yang. When cultivators sought dual-cultivation Dao companions, they generally chose someone compatible with them, and the most straightforward harmony was that between yin and yang.
Thus most Dao companions were a man and a woman. Two men or two women forming such a bond was not regarded as entirely strange, but it was extremely rare.
How could Jiwen Jing have imagined that this stern sword cultivator, who clearly seemed to live solely for the sword Dao, had already taken a Dao companion at just over two hundred years of age, and that his companion was another man? It was almost unbelievable!
All his earlier calculations had obviously come to nothing.
Nevertheless, he was an outstanding young talent. His thoughts turned rapidly without any change in his expression, and he cupped his hands toward the young cultivator. “I am Jiwen Jing, a friend of Brother Yun’s through the sword Dao. May I ask your name…”
The young cultivator smiled warmly. “I am Xu Ziqing. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jiwen.”
The other sword cultivators were equally astonished. In particular, the man who had joked about Yun Lie having a sweetheart was momentarily speechless.
They had been joking. Who would have imagined that the joke was actually true?
But they quickly recovered, came forward to exchange greetings, and became acquainted with him.
Xu Ziqing examined everyone and formed his own impressions.
As his senior brother had said, these sword cultivators were wholly devoted to pursuing the sword. Their thoughts revolved around swordsmanship, and they cared little for worldly formalities or people’s backgrounds. Once introduced, they accepted him readily.
As for the agile, spirited Jiwen Jing, it was clear that he deserved his important position as a direct-line scion of the Jiwen family. His bearing seemed no less imposing than Yun Lie’s. Across all the worlds Xu Ziqing had visited, this was the first person he had met who could match his senior brother in swordsmanship. Yun Lie’s praise had indeed been justified.
But… Xu Ziqing also noticed that Jiwen Jing seemed to measure him when they first met, and then a faint look of disappointment crossed his face.
It was natural to assess a stranger, but where had that disappointment come from?
He did not dwell on the matter. Everyone had already sat down again.
Now that Xu Ziqing had been accepted, the sword cultivators treated him normally and resumed their discussions.
They debated, compared their understandings, recounted insights, and asked one another for advice. The conversation became lively once more.
These people were usually consumed by their love of the sword, and when gathered together they seemed even more single-minded.
Xu Ziqing sat to one side, watching with a smile.
His senior brother rarely spoke even among them, yet he was greatly respected and clearly held in high regard. Xu Ziqing could sense that Yun Lie was in excellent spirits and was gaining insights from their discussions. Senior Brother was evidently having a wonderful time.
And whenever Senior Brother was happy, Xu Ziqing was happy too.
After one round of conversation, a sword cultivator realized they had neglected the newcomer. When a suitable topic arose, he addressed him. “What insights does Fellow Daoist Xu have?”
Xu Ziqing paused in surprise, offered a few modest observations, and smiled. “The Dao I cultivate is not the sword Dao. I’m displaying my poor skills before experts, so please don’t take offense, Fellow Daoists.”
The others were surprised again.
They had never expected that Yun Lie, whose mastery of the sword Dao was so profound, would choose someone who did not cultivate the sword at all as his Dao companion.
Dao companions were supposed to share ideals and travel the same path. Since Xu Ziqing was a man, surely he had not been chosen merely for his beauty. This was… truly difficult for them to comprehend.
Xu Ziqing knew they were puzzled, but what he shared with his senior brother could not be explained in a few words and was none of anyone else’s business. He merely smiled and said nothing.
Seeing that he was completely at ease and Yun Lie equally unconcerned, the others moved on to another topic and resumed discussing swords.
Jiwen Jing noticed the look Xu Ziqing exchanged with Yun Lie and the smile upon his face. He sighed inwardly, but said nothing.
As dusk approached, everyone dispersed.
Xu Ziqing politely bade the others farewell, then followed Yun Lie to the quarters where his senior brother had been staying.
Once inside, he looked around. The room was comfortably furnished, but every item was precisely arranged, neat and untouched. It was exactly like his senior brother: meticulous, orderly, and never careless.
After taking it in, Xu Ziqing raised his eyes toward Yun Lie. His senior brother had closed the door and was walking toward him.
His breath caught. For some reason, heat rose in his cheeks.